


Animal Planet

by ticklishraspberries



Category: Alex Strangelove (2018)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, New Relationship, Those Three Words, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 09:26:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17547035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ticklishraspberries/pseuds/ticklishraspberries
Summary: Elliott asks Alex a bunch of questions about animals.





	Animal Planet

It had been a month since they started officially dating, and only an extra month since they first met, but Alex felt as though he’d know Elliott for a lifetime. They worked well together, easily keeping conversation and playing off one another in silly jokes. And sure, Alex was still new to the whole dating-a-guy thing, but it was no different than dating Claire, while still being totally different at the same time, if that made any sense at all.

Things with Claire had been amazing, but there was always something missing. He loved her, of course, but he loved her like a best friend, and he’d tricked himself into thinking she was the girl he’d marry to hide the way he really felt. And thankfully their love hadn’t died with Alex’s straightness, it had almost grown stronger. But like, in the friend way.

Alex still didn’t have the guts to tell Elliott he loved him though. He didn’t want to move too fast and scare him off. And what if he said it without meaning it and got caught in another far too long relationship in which he wasn’t truly happy in?

Love was just a really confusing topic for Alex, which was hilariously ironic for a guy with the last name ‘Truelove’.

But Elliott hadn’t said it, and he didn’t seem in a hurry to hear Alex say it either. They were moving slowly, and things were good. So, so good.

Though he teased him mercilessly about it, Elliott was actually pretty intrigued by Alex’s animal obsession. And since Alex humored his musical interests, Elliott saw it as only fair he watch Animal Planet with his boyfriend as their weird idea of a date.

“This show is all just animals eating each other and banging,” Elliott said after making it through an episode and a half. “Have you ever jacked off to this?”

Alex turned red, but he couldn’t help but giggle. “No, of course not! You’re such a pervert.”

“I’m a pervert? You’re the one watching monkey porn in your spare time!”

And the both dissolved into laughter.

Elliott reached over and grabbed the remote, muting the show. “I like listening to you talk about this stuff, not some boring narrator. Tell me some animal facts, Truelove.”

Something about hearing Elliott call him that make Alex squirm. Yes, it was literally his last name, but it also sounded like Elliott was calling him his true love. Which was simultaneously adorable and terrifying. He cleared his throat. “Okay, uh, what do you want to know?”

“What’s the horniest species?”

Alex rolled his eyes. “Well, emperor penguins, dolphins, and rabbits are all up there.”

“I love that you just know that off the top of your head,” Elliott chuckled softly, shaking his head fondly. “What animal is most likely to be gay?”

“Giraffes have the highest rate of homosexuality, but lions often have male mates as well. Oh, and bats are pretty gay too,” Alex replied after thinking for a second.

“So, are we giraffes then?”

“I’d rather be a lion than a giraffe.”

“Really? You wouldn’t want like a super long neck?”

“It just seems inconvenient. Like, sure, you can eat leaves off trees, but that’s all it’s good for really.”

“Okay, point taken,” Elliott smiled. “Uh…I’m running out of questions. Are animals ticklish?”

Alex flushed a little. “Yeah, it’s an evolutionary response. If a bug lands on a horse it’ll try to kick it off because it’s that annoying kind of itchy feeling, so technically most animals can feel the sensation. But rats, and most primates actually laugh if you tickle them!”

“That’s actually kind of cool,” Elliott said. “So, you’re like a monkey then, because I don’t even have to touch you to get you laughing.”

“Shut up and just ask me another question,” Alex replied, shooting him a very un-intimidating glare.

“No, I think I wanna do a little experiment,” Elliott grinned, getting that mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Is Alex Truelove the most ticklish organism on the planet?”

And before Alex could reply, he was pinned back against the couch, Elliott’s fingers wiggling over every inch of his body they could reach. Laughter poured from his mouth before he could even try to stop it, and he squirmed around like crazy but to no avail.

“Well, you’re laughing super loud, and obviously trying to escape,” Elliott observed aloud. “Do rats and monkeys try to squirm away?”

“Some do!” Alex choked out.

“Oh, so some of them like it?”

“I guess!”

“Aw, you have that in common with them!”

“Shut up!” Alex whined, bringing a hand up to cover his blushing face. “I don’t!”

“Then why are you getting so embarrassed? Oh, can animals blush?”

“Nope! It’s just a human thing,” Alex replied as Elliott relented for a moment to let him form a coherent answer.

“A very cute human thing,” Elliott added, poking Alex’s nose.

“Are you done torturing me now?”

“Hmm…Maybe I would have been if you didn’t say that.”

“Shit, wait!” Alex was laughing again before he could utter another word, Elliott’s fingers dancing across his stomach and sides. “El, please!”

“Oh, fine,” Elliott said, finally backing off and flopping back against the couch, watching him catch his breath with a ridiculous grin on his face.

“You’re so mean,” Alex huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Elliott shrugged. “That’s what you love about me though,” he said with a wink.

If the color had finally left Alex’s face by then, it all came flooding back with that statement. The L-Word had come up at last, and before he could stop himself, he said; “Yeah, I do.”

And even though it wasn’t the magic three words yet, it was close enough to make Elliott actually flush a bit as well.

It would only take a short month of more Animal Planet viewing dates, tickle fights, and teasing until Alex felt ready to say “I love you”, and Elliott said it back without hesitation.

Maybe love wasn’t as confusing as Alex once thought it was.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!  
> Feedback is always appreciated!  
> Tumblr: ticklishraspberries.tumblr.com  
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